I was looking at buying one of the kits from dixie but was wondering how hard they are or do they come like what they show on the website.
thanks
| John Schaefer wrote: |
| I was looking at buying one of the kits from dixie but was wondering how hard they are or do they come like what they show on the website.
thanks |
John...
Much depends on which kits you are referring to. DGW has offered a lot of different kits over the years, from “fully-inletted kits” to “kits” that are nothing more than the components needed to essentially build a gun from scratch. They are, I think, still providing kits that are made by some European manufacturers such as Pedersoli, San Marco and Armi-Sport. These ranged in quality from fair to lousy, back when I thought kits were a good idea. There are other firms offering some very high quality pre-inletted stocks with the components to go along with them, but these are going to be more expensive than the Dixie versions.
My advice to you, especially as it relates to pistols, is that the pre-inletted kits are NOT easy to assemble. I built a pistol from a kit many years ago and it turned out to be a nightmare. When the wood is already inlet and the metal part does not fit the inlet, it is very easy to goof up the wood while trying to install it. Drilling for retaining pins when you are working with a formed stock, i.e. one without a flat plane on which to rest the stock while using a drill press, is very difficult; and, some kits that are predrilled for the pins are not drilled accurately, necessitating filling holes and re-drilling.
Now, with the advances in technology over the years, it is possible that the fit of the pre-inletted kits is much better. I do not know because I have not looked at one recently. But, I suspect on the less expensive kits that dupli-carvers are still being used as they were years ago.
My final advice is to pick out a kit, order it with the understanding that you can send it back, then look it over very carefully when you receive it. If it looks like something you don’t want to tackle, then send it back and visit the Track of the Wolf site. They frequently have pistols for sale at various prices. Save up some money and get one of those. Of course, if you are an excellent and experienced wood and metal worker just disregard everything above.
| John Schaefer wrote: |
| I was looking at buying one of the kits from dixie but was wondering how hard they are or do they come like what they show on the website.
thanks |
I don't have any experience with the kits that dixie sells, but I know most of what your asking will depend on which kit you are wanting and who it is made by. I would highly recommend you check out a website called The Muzzle Loading Forum (link at bottom of page). The have loads of information on building from scratch to kits to just about anything else. The people there can offer you help and advice to make putting together a kit vary easy.
www.muzzleloadingforum.com
Kevin Frost
| John Schaefer wrote: |
| I was looking at buying one of the kits from dixie but was wondering how hard they are or do they come like what they show on the website.
thanks |
I think it depends on what your purpose might be and how good you are with your hands. If you want to learn how to make a muzzleloading firearm yourself and expect to put a LOT of time and effort into it, getting a kit might be a good idea. If all you really want is to save a few bucks, you will be AMAZED at how much work it is to take even a well-inletted piece of wood and some rough finished metal parts and come up with a final product that even remotely resembles a professionally crafted gun. I have built a few pistols, made some sets of grips and built a half dozen rifles (strictly for my own use) and, I tell you, it isn't a task to be undertaken lightly. Especially not if you are a perfectionist.
You will need a selection of files, inletting black, rasps and scrapers, sandpaper of several grades (180-600 grit) and some sanding blocks, blueing chemicals, most likely a bit of epoxy and some appropriate finish. Tack rags, steel wool, mineral spirits, linseed oil and stain of some sort are also useful. After considering all of the above and the 50 or 60 bucks you save buying a kit, the finished gun seems like a pretty good deal. Now, if you enjoy building stuff with your hands, want to learn a new craft or would like a new hobby, then kit building can be very satisfying.
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